Journey to the Center of the Soul

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Srila Bhakti Raksaksa Sridhara Maharaja’s Disappearance Day is on the 18th of this July. From my own experience, any time I have trouble with imbibing the message of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, then I go to Srila Sridhara Maharaja’s books or lectures. Read Sri Guru and His Grace. Read all of his Sermons…His contribution to the Vaisnava community is still not entirely felt. Translating his commentary on Saranagati, I was astounded how much I missed of Bhaktivinode Thakura’s songs. I want to also due Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, with his word for word explanations. It is a massive project, but I think I am nearing where I am capable of putting it into English. So, on July 18th, remember to honor the siksa-guru of our Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja Prabhupada and the sannyasa-guru of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja. We honor all Vaisnavas wherever, past, present and future. Maybe one day I will learn to relish and appreciate even a drop of their mercy.

Sri Radhika came in the form of Sri Gadadhara. It is extremely important to know Gadadhara-tattva, the established philosophical truths of Sri Gadadhara Pandita. There is no difference between Sri Gadadhara Pandita and Srimati Radhika, but the activities are different in Krsna’s pastimes and Gaura’s pastimes. In Gaura-lila Sri Gadadhara Pandita is in the mood of a servant.

No gopi, including Candravali, Lalita and Visakha, is qualified to experience Srimati Radhika’s madanakya-mahabhava (Her supermost ecstatic prema). Krsna experiences the ecstatic loving moods of rudha and adirudha, but not madanakhya-mahabhava. Sri Gadadhara Pandita, on the other hand has madanakya-mahabhava. In Gaura-lila, however, it is covered, so that Gadadhara Pandita can help Krsna to play the part of Srimati Radhika. In the form of Sri Gadadhara Pandita, Srimati Radhika is looking and examining, and if there is something wrong in Krsna (as Mahaprabhu), She corrects it. Read the rest of this entry →

Gaining our svarupa or constitutional identity, that is, our individuality is most important. Therefore, developing our innate love for Sri Radhika and Sri Krsna is vital. Impersonalism now reigns in the world, along with its concomitant problems of economic development, religiosity, unbridled lust, and the yearning for liberation or freedom, because of a lack of clarity and understanding. ke ami? Who am I? Read the rest of this entry →

Although the premika bhakta is the sole object of Sri Bhagavan’s prema, still Sri Bhagavan reciprocates with that devotee according to the degree that the devotee loves Him. The gopis are Sri Bhagavan’s eternally beloved associates, thus being the object of that eternally perfect, absolute bhagavata-prema, their glories are especially self-evident. Furthermore, by the word nitya we can see that the gopis are never even slightly disregarded by Sri Bhagavan. Sri Närada will further elucidate upon this topic in sri-goloka-mahatmya.

You may ask how the glories of this confidential subject matter can be ascertained when the exalted prema of the gopis is imperceptible to our mundane mind and intelligence? It is true gopi-prema is beyond the minds of even the great sages, but this becomes manifest itself by the special potency of the distinct incarnation of Sri Radha-Ramana-deva, that is, although Sri Caitanya-deva is personally Sri Krsna, nonetheless He especially descended to reveal prema-bhakti. Accordingly, He made the mood of the gopis become naturally evident, indicating that His mercy extends this gopi-prema unto everyone. Sri Caitanya’s continuous, manifest love for Sri Krsna made the gopis’ love for Sri Krsna also understandable. In other words, Bhagavan Sri Krsna as Sri Caitanya became influenced by the mood of the gopis, and after personally tasting that gopi-prema, disseminated it throughout the world. (BB, Vol. 1.1 purport)

“Putana-bhava” of the Gopis? Is this not Pratikula, or Unfavorable, Bhajana?

Srila Gurudeva says, “When a Sakhi desires to render service in the correct manner, it is called svabhaviki-sthiti, one’s natural position. But when one loses one’s perspective due to ecstasy and does things which should not be done, it is called unmada, becoming maddened or intoxicated. When Krsna left the gopis during the rasa-lila, they thought about Him more and more until they became mad and began imitating Him. Each and every gopi thought, ‘I am Krsna and all of you are my beloveds.’

Kavi Karnapura’s Viewpoint

“In the Ananda-Vrndavana-Campu, Kavi Karnapura explains how this happened. Each gopi was thinking herself to be Krsna and saw some of the others as PUTANA, Bakasura, or Aghasura. How was this happening? One’s asakti or attachment is never directed to where there is no taste. If something tastes sweet, we can become attached to it and only then can we have tadatmya-bhava (feelings of unity or oneness). We will not become attached to something which is pratikula, or unfavorable, nor will we become unmada and feel oneness with her. In re-enacting Putana-lila, one gopi forced another gopi to the ground, climbed on top of her, and took her breast in her mouth. Here Kavi Karnapura reveals that those ladies who were lying down as Putana were not actually gopis, but rather manifestations created by the potency of Yogamaya, because the gopis will not take on Putana-bhava! This is a very important point, and it is difficult to understand this from reading the description of this pastime in the Srimad-Bhagavatam…

“Kavi Karnapura reveals something else here: Krsna, himself acting in tadatmya–bhava, has entered the gopis’ hearts and is the actual cause of their identifying with Him. But where there is pratikula-bhava such as when they were imitating Putana, everything is arranged by Yogamaya. Another example of this is when the gopis heard Krsna’s flute-melody and left their husbands in the dead of night, Yogamaya expanded duplicate gopis to take their places.”

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s Illumination

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s point: “At this time, as Krsna had entered into the gopis, all of His six opulences fully manifested within them. Although they were imitating Krsna’s pastimes, they became capable of lifting Govardhana Hill or subduing Kaliya.”

The question is, “How can devotees who have served for almost 4o years end up broke, alone and neglected?” It seems to be a real problem. Maybe it is meant to be that way some may say. Are we to end up alone and crying for Krishna? Or maybe it is only the gurus or acaryas that are to be looked out for, in the end? Hard questions. One way or another Krishna does not seem to make it any easier for longtime devotees, at least for those who do not have positions of prestige or disciples or money. Have we failed? We are not asking for fame or fortune, but our tears are not always visible either. And it’s not the chanting that seems to be hard, but it is the chanting that precedes feeling that appears hard. Krishna, Radha, Gurudeva, where are you? Tonight, don’t let the heart pain so much…

Shri Krishna manifests His eternal birth to the pure cognitive essence of the serving soul who is located above all mundane limitations. King Kamsa is the typical aggressive empiricist, ever on the lookout for the appearance of the truth for the purpose of suppressing Him before He has time to develop. This is no exaggeration of the real connotation of the consistent empiric position. The materialist has a natural repugnance for the transcendent. He is disposed to link that faith in the incomprehensible is the parent of dogmatism and hypocrisy in the guise of religion. He is also equally under the delusion that there is no real dividing line between the material and the spiritual. He is strengthened in his delusion by the interpretation of scriptures by persons who are like-minded with himself. This includes all the lexicographic interpreters. Read the rest of this entry →

It seems some consider our spiritual Gaudiya line as a monarchy. But I have thought about this deeply and do not see a monarchy as feasible in Kali-yuga. America is a republic not a democracy. But because most see it as a democracy (meaning rule of the mob), then it has gradually regressed into socialism and heading towards a fascist environment. Nowadays monarchy is not a king but a dictator. Anarchy actually refers to individual freedom to choose without strict domination of rulers. In spiritual lines, of course, Guru is all-in-all. But he is not a king, unless we see the guru in an aisvarya (opulently powerful) way, that is, like Lord Narayana in Vaikuntha. In aisvarya there is awe and reverence especially. The highest goal is “divine love” or Priti. So the Priti (Pure Bhakti) Yoga Society is established. The full-blown expression of priti or love is not possible when awe and reverence is prominent. In Vrndavana aisvarya is not the dominant mood, such as when Yasoda Maiya saw the universal form inside Gopal’s mouth. As Jiva Gosvami said, “She was given divya-caksu, transcendental eyes, but not divya manas or divine mind…Like Arjuna also, divine eyes but not divine mind.” One can understand this acintya or inconceivable aspect by mercy alone. That comes from Guru and his extended, empowered representatives, that is, the sincere Vaisnavas who embrace his same mood.

What is Anarchy? It does not mean just chaotic violent takeovers, but it means to live in a “stateless” environment without corrupt rulers. Does this effect freedom of religion also? Yes, of course. Nowadays we can see how everything is being twisted and reversed. Actually, anarchists are quite nice people, not bullies who demand absolute control over our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (property also). We should take some safeguards for religion. When starting a business, invest in Silver or Gold. Especially silver. Fiat, paper money is collapsing. Go to the website www.thedollarvigilante.com or check out Doug Casey or Jeff Berwick. Spiritual anarchy means we have our own freedom to worship God peacefully, not enforced atheism or sectarianism. We believe in bona fide Gurus, not just societal gurus by simply diksa line, but siksa line. Right now many tenets of religion are disappearing. Devotees should wake up. Preaching means becoming aware of both maya and the true path of dharma. Dharma Souls ki jaya!